NBA Trade Rumors 2014 Update: Detroit Pistons’ Rodney Stuckey For Orlando Magic’s Arron Afflalo Swap In The Works?
The Detroit Pistons will likely enter into trades before the 2014 NBA trade deadline as the team continues to retool their roster, hoping to get back into title contention in the near future.
Detroit regained respectability after making a splash via free agency last offseason when they acquired All-Star forward Josh Smith and emerging point guard Brandon Jennings, but the Pistons are still far from reaching elite status in the Eastern Conference.
Recent rumors suggested that the Pistons will be active on trade front in the coming weeks, with sources saying that they are mulling over trading veteran guard Rodney Stuckey.
The Detroit News opened up the possibility of trading Stuckey to the Orlando Magic for Arron Afflalo, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Magic will be interested in a salary-dumping trade for Stuckey, who is set to become a free agent after this season.
Acquiring Afflalo would give the Pistons another potent scoring threat that could help them to make the playoffs this season, considering how weak the Eastern Conference is this year.
Afflalo, who spent the first two years of his career with the Pistons before moving to the Denver Nuggets, is averaging 20.9 points to go along with 4.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game this season. The 29-year-old veteran is also shooting 46.7 percent from the field, including an impressive 42.5-percent clip from beyond the arc.
When asked about the possibility of getting traded before the trade deadline on February 20, Stuckey declined to comment, saying that he'll just focus on the things that he can control.
"I don't think about it, I just try to come out and play," Stuckey said on the trade rumors surrounding him. "You have to be prepared for whatever happens. I never think about when February comes around. I'm just trying to come out and play basketball. Everything else would take care of itself."
Aside from Stuckey, recent rumors also suggested that the Pistons will likely consider trading Smith before the deadline with the Brooklyn Nets as a likely landing spot for the high-flying forward.